Hitching device



(ModeL) .W. H. VAUGHN. 'HITGHING DEVICE.

No. 334,827. Patented Jan. 26, 1886.

Wdwsmea;

IVILLIAM H. VAUGHN,

Tam Grrrca.

OF QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

HITCHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,827, dated January 26 1886,

Application filed November 1, 1884. Serial No. 147,036.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. VAUGHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hitching Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, ref erence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, of my invention; Fig. 2, a bottom plan view of the cam-casting removed, and Fig. 3 a perspective view of the lever-plate.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

My invention relates to that class of hitching devices in which the halter of the animal to be secured is passed under an eccentric clamp, so that it can be moved freely in one direction; but when an attempt is made to withdraw it it will be clamped the tighter; and it has for its object to improve their construction, so that the eccentric will be operated positively, and will not depend upon the weight of it merely, nor the slight friction between it and the strap; and to this end it consists in certain novel details of construction, which I will now proceed to describe.

A represents an eccentric-clamp, made,preferably, in the form of a horses head, as shown, pivoted upon a pin, b, between the flanges of a base portion or casting, G, which latter is further provided with a projection or pintle adapted to be inserted in a socket in the end of a 'hitchingpost or any other suitable place, and to be secured therein by means of a pin passed through said pintle, as shown. The clamp A is provided with a recess in its lower rear portion, having a slot, 0, extending into it from the top, and its for ward portion is provided with serrations or teeth a, ,between which and the corresponding serrations, g, on the base portion G the strap or halter is adapted to be clamped.

0 represents a piece of metal which I term a lever-plate, slightly curved, as shown, and provided with the cut-away portions 0 0 (Model.)

I at its sides, having its lower end serrated, and

this lever-plate is adapted to be inserted through the slot 0 in the clamp A, with its lower end resting on the serrations in the base portion and the cut-away portions in line with the edges of the slot, so that it is permitted alimited motion up and down. The forward end of the clamp A is slightly the heavier, so that it normally will assume the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The halter of the animal to be hitched is passed under the clamp A from the rear and drawn through, the eccentric permitting it to move in this direction. \Vhen, however, an attempt is made to withdraw it, it will be clamped between the eccentric and the base portion G.

The operation thus far is the same as the ordinary eccentric-clamp now in use; but it has been found that the friction between the eccentric and the strap is not sufficient, and that if a series of short, quick jerks are given the halter can be withdrawn; but in my device, as soon as it begins to move backward,

the lever-plate O is tilted upward and moves the rear end of the eccentric upward, thereby clamping the strap more tightly at the for-- ward end, the teeth of the plate also serving to hold the strap somewhat. Now, when it is desired to release the halter, it is only necessary to press slightly upon the lever-plate and release that, and then tilt the eccentric a little, and the strap or rope can be withdrawn.

II hile I have described the base portion G as being provided with the pintle for insertion into a corresponding socket in a post, it is obvious that it may be provided with a flange adapted to be secured to the manger, a hitching-post, or to be secured to a curbstone in any suitable manner. The form of the lever-plate also can be altered without departing from the spirit of my invention. For instance, it might be hinged to the eccentric clamp, instead of being loose, the principal object being to provide a device that will permit the strap to be inserted through, and yet when it is attempted to be withdrawn will move the eccentric so as to clamp it more se curely.

I claim as my invention- I of the eccentric-clamp having the recess in its 1. The combination, with the base, of the I under side, and the slot, and the lever-plate eccentric-clamp pivoted thereon and the lehaving the cut-away portions in its sides, so vet-plate connected to the clamp in rear of its as to permit a limited motion up and down, 5 pivots, substantially as described. substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the base portion, of the eccentric-clamp having the recess in its WILLIAM VAUGHN under side and thelever-plate mounted there- \Vitnesses: in, substantially as described. ALBERT W. WELLs, IO 3. The combination, with the base portion, 1 H. S. DAVIs. 

